Automatic musical instrument



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

.W. H. HOSOHKE. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Dec. 18

ATTORNEYS.

W/TNESSES.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. W. H. HOSCHKE. AUTOMATIC) MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT.

N0. 531,037. Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

A TTOHNE Y8.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HOSCHKE, OF BROOKHYN, NEiV YORK.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,037, dated December18, 1894.

Application filed April '7, 1894. Serial No. 506,694.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HOSCHKE, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved AutomaticMusical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to musical instruments in which a travelingperforated sheet actuates the star wheel or other picking mechanismadapted to engage and sound the comb.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved automaticmusical instrument, which is comparatively simple and durable inconstruction, and arranged in such a manner as to prevent tearing orotherwise injuring the traveling sheet and to permit of reusing thesheets without danger of changing the tunes.

The invention consists of certain parts and details, and combinations ofthe same, as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure] is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectionalside elevation of the same, on the line 22 of Fig. i. Fig. 8 is anenlarged sectional side elevation of the star wheel, comb, travelingsheet, and mechanism for driving the star wheel. Fig. 4E isa plan viewof the improvement, with parts broken out; and Fig. 5 is a transversesection of part of the improvement, on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

The improved musical instrument is provided with a suitably constructedframe A, on which is journaled the star wheel or other picking deviceB,adapted to sound the comb C, supported in any suitable manner from thesaid frame A.

Under the star wheel B, or other picking device, passes the travelingsheet D, preferably made of paper, and provided with the usuallongitudinally arranged slits or slots D, the said sheet unwinding froma roll E journaled in one end of the frame A, as plainly shown in thedrawings. A forward traveling motion in the direction of the arrow at isgiven to the said traveling sheet D, by two rollers F and F, betweenwhich passes the said traveling sheet, one of the rollersbeing providedwith pins F engaging apertures D arranged near the edges of the sheet D,as is plainly shown in Fig. 4.. One of the rollers, preferably the lowerone F, is driven from a suit able spring or other motoras hereinaftermore fully described,wl1ile the top rollerF is preferably journaled inspring-pressed bearings so as to securely hold the said roller incontact with the sheet D, to properly propel the same forward. The starwheel B or other picking device is not driven from the sheet D, as inmusical instruments heretofore constructed, but it is driven byaspecialand independent mechanism arranged below the sheet D, and preferablymade in the shape of a transverse cylinder G, having a series oftransversely extending blades G running the entire length of thecylinder, and adapted to engage and actuate projecting plungers from thestar wheel B, as hereinafter more fully described. It will be seen thatthe cylinder G, forms with the star wheel B, a passage for the travelingsheet D, and the latter controls gravity plungers in the said starwheel, so that the said gravity plungers at the proper time can passthrough the perforations D, to be engaged by the blades G of therevolving cylinder G to be propelled to sound the comb, as hereinaftermore fully described. The cylinder G rotates in the direction of thearrow a and is driven at a fairly high rate of speed from a spring motorH, located in the frame A, and of any approved construction. Theconnection between this motor If and the cylinder G is by gear wheels,and for this purpose the ends of the shaft G of the said cylinder G,carry pinions G in mesh with intermediate gear wheels G in mesh withgear wheels G secured on the driven shaft of the motor II, so that themotion of the latter is transmitted by the said gear wheels to thecylinder G. The motor II also preferably drives the roller F, and forthis purpose the gear wheels G mesh into intermediate gear wheels I, inmesh with a second intermediate gear wheel I, in mesh with the gearwheel 1 on each end of the shaft F for the roller F.

The star wheel or other picking device B is preferably of theconstruction shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 5, and is provided with atransversely-omending shaft 13, on which is mounted to rotate loosely aseries of disks or wheels B one for each prong of the comb 0. Each disk13 carries in its periphery a series of picking pins 13 adapted tosuccessively sound the corresponding prong of the comb C as the saiddisk is rotated.

Between the picking pins B are arranged gravity plungers B fitted toslide in recesses B in the said disk, the recesses being preferablylocated midway between adjacent picking pins B as will be readilyunderstood by reference to Fig. 3. The plungers B are adapted to slideoutward and downward when nearing a lowermost position, so as to passonto the top of the traveling sheet D, and to drop through an opening Din the said sheet in case such opening passes under the correspondingdisk B Each plunger B is provided with an inner reduced end 13 formedwith a head B and fitted to slide in a partition 13 arranged in thecorresponding recess B, so that the outward sliding movement of thecorresponding plunger is limited by this head B resting against the saidpartition. As the disk B is revolved, the plunger before passing into anuppermost position, slides inward by its own gravity, so that its outerend is completely within the recess B and consequently the plunger isnot liable to strike and sound the corresponding prong of the comb C. Ifdesired, the plungers and picking pins may be arranged out of peripheralalignment so that the plungers pass to one sideof the prong of the comb,while the prong is in the path of the picking pins only. The outer endof each plunger is rounded off so that a flat side is presented to theblades G of the revolving cylinder G, while the oppositely arrangedrounded off side is presented to the rear end of the corresponding slotD, to permit the sheet D to readily push the pin slightly upward on theforward motion of the sheet and without turning the disk in the wrongdirection, it being understood that the said disk turns in the directionof the arrow a by the action of the said revolving cylinder G.

In order to properly guide the sheet D, I provide tables A and A overwhich passes the sheet on opposite sides of the cylinder G, to properlyhold the sheet in a horizontal position during its passage between thepicking device B and the cylinder G.

The operation is as follows: When the motor H is set in motion, then arotary motion is given to the cylinder G in the direction of the arrow aand motion is given to the cylinder F, so as to propel the sheetDforward in the direction of the arrow at. As the sheet D moves forward,the plungers 13 standing in a lowermost position, travel on the sheet D,to finally drop through a corresponding slot or opening D, to project asufficient distance below the sheet to be engaged by one of the blades Gof the revolving cylinder G. As the blade G takes hold of thisprojecting plunger B it imparts a turning motion to the disk B of thisplunger, so that the corresponding uppermost picking pin B engages andpicks or sounds the corresponding prong of the comb C. By the time theblade G moving the corresponding plunger B leaves the latter, then thedisk has been sufficiently turned to properly sound the correspondingprong of the comb, and also to move the plunger into such position thatits rounded off side is in alignment with the end of the slot D, so asto be readily pushed inward by the traveling sheet D, without danger ofmoving the disk 13 in the inverse direction of the arrow a This actiontakes place for all lower plungers engaged by corresponding slots oropenings D, so that according to the arrangement of slots the comb O issounded to produce the desired tone, it being, however, ex presslyunderstood that the star wheel or picking device B is not driven fromthe traveling sheet D, but from an independent power such as thecylinder G. It will be further understood that as the traveling sheet Dcontrols the sliding downward motion of the plungers B", but does notactuate the same to turn the disks, it will be readily seen that thesheet is not liable to be torn or otherwise injured, as its functionsare very light.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. An automatic musical instrument, provided with arotatable part, having pins for sounding the teeth of the comb, andoutwardly movable plungers, and a driving mechanism adapted to engagethe said plungers to turn the said rotatable part and sound the teeth ofthe comb, substantially as described.

2. An automatic musical instrument, provided with a star wheel, havingpicking pins and gravity plungers, and a revolving wheel havingprojections adapted to engage the protruding ends of the plungers toturn the star wheel and sound the corresponding tooth of the comb,substantially as described.

3. An automatic musicalinstrument, comprising astar cylinder havingrotatable disks, each having picking pins and gravity plungers, atraveling sheet having slots for the passage of the said gravityplungers, and a revolving cylinder having blades adapted to engage theprojecting ends of the plungers extending below the said travelingsheet, substantially as shown and described.

4. An automatic musical instrument, comprisingastarcylinderhavingrotatable disks, each having picking pins and gravity plungers, atraveling sheet having slots for the passage of the said gravityplungers, a revolving cylinder having blades adapted to engage theprojecting ends of the plungers extending below the said travelingsheet, and a motor for imparting a rotary motion to the said cylinder,the said motor also imparting motion to the said traveling sheet,substantially as shown and described.

WlLLlAlii II. IIOSCIIKIC.

Witnesses:

Trmo. G. Hosrnn, C. SEDGWIOK.

